Automatic train-braking system.



D. M. SMITH.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN BRAKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26,1914.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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2 SHEETS Irweryfor flay/EMS; 22% gym/K D. M. SMITH,

AUTOMATIC TRAIN BRAKING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 26. 1914 Patented J an. 5, 1915.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co PHDTO-LITHQ. WASH/NIJON. D. c.

'NTTED @TA4Eg PATENT DAVID M. SMITH, 0F GREENSBURG, PENNSYLi/ANIA,ASSIGNOE 0F THREE-EIGHTHS T0 SAMUEL H. JAMISON AND ONE-FOURTH TO JESSEPOORMAN, BOTH OF GBEENSBUEG',

PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-BRAKING SYSTEM.

manner.

Application filed February 26, 1914..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, DAVID M. SMITH, a citizenof the United States, residing at Greensburg, in the county ofWestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Train-Braking Systems, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic train brakingsystems and proposes an apparatus which is employed in co operation withthe usual signaling apparatus and is instrumental to apply the brakeswhen the signal at the head of the block is set for danger. Inconnection with the application of the brakes, an alarm is sounded toindicate to the engineer that there is clanger ahead and that the brakeshave been operated.

The principal object of the invention is to provide for a gradual andeasy yet positive and certain braking of the train through a relativelylong extent of travel, 0. 9., at least a hundred yards; and to providefor this purpose mechanical instrumentalities which are of simple,durable and inexpensive nature and in their application require nochange in existing equipment.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, where1n:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a safety block or a portion ofsuch a block; F ig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view thereof; Fig. 3 isa cross-sectional view thereof; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing therelation of the brake controlling valve at the base of the locomotive;Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the brake controlling valve; Fig. 6is a diagrammatic view showing the connections whereby the magnets arecontrolled by the signal arm; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing theconnections for sounding an alarm in the cab of the locomotive, when thebrakes are applied.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

The essential elements of the apparatus are the valve 1 located adjacentthe tender of the engine and which, when opened, ex hausts thecompressed air and provides for the setting of the brake in the usualmanner, and the rod 2 for operating said valve.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 821,108.

The rod 2 is straight throughout its extent and has a length whichcorresponds to the length of travel in which the train may be brought toa gradual and easy stop from the inception of the action of the brakes.Thus, it it 1s contemplated that the train shall be stopped within adistance of a hundred yards, the rod 2 will be at least a hundred yardsin. length. The rod 2 is pivoted at its rear end as at 3 and free at itsforward end and occupies either of two positions, in one, itsinoperative position, being substantially parallel to the rail A whichit closely adoins, and in the other, its operative positron, extendingobliquely with relation to the rails. The rod 2 is mounted between therails and is supported upon the ties, and is movable transversely in ahorizontal plane. in its operative position, in which, as above stated,it extends obliquely with relation to the rails, it functions as a camand acts upon a lever l: secured upon the projecting end of the stem ofthe valve 1, and in its inoperative position, in which it issubstantially parallel to the rails, it has no action whatever upon saidlever.

The valve 1 may be of any suitable construction, for instance, it may beof the same construction as the stop cocks which are employed in theusual air brake system, and, as shown in F ig. 5, includes a taperedturning plug 5 which controls the communication of the train pipe 6 withthe exhaust pipe 7 and which is cut away at its lower end to provide forthe organization of a spring 8. The torsion spring 8 holds the valvenormally closed and, therefore, holds the lever a in operative relationto the rod 2.

When the rod 2 is in operative position, the lever 4i. engages said rodin the course of the movement of the engine through the block and as themovement of the engine continues, the rod, functioning as a cam, acts onsaid lever to produce the gradual opening of the valve 1. Theapplication of the brakes is thus produced not suddenly but graduallyand slowly, and it follows that the train may be brought to a stopwithout substantial shock or jar and without any injury to theequipment.

The rod 2 is in cooperation with the sig naling system and is operatedpreferably through the intermediary of magnets 9 and 10, the magnets 9,located under the rail A, being employed to restore the rod 2 to normalinoperative position after each operation thereof, and the magnets 10,located between said rod and the rail B, being employed to move the rodto operative position. When the rod 2 has the length or the substantiallength herein described, 71. 6., a hundred yards, it is practical toemploy three magnets adjacent each of the rails A and B, making sixmagnets in all. The magnets 9 and 10 are preferably arranged instaggered relation and their armatures are in the form of blocks 11which are secured to the under side of the rod 2 and are suitablylocated between the ties.

The signaling arm 0 at the head of the block operates a suitable switch(Fig. 6) which controls the circuits 17 and 18 in which the respectivemagnets 9 and 10 are interposed, the said switch including the fixedterminal contacts 19 and 20 for the respective circuits 17 and 18, afixed contact 21, common to both circuits, and a movable contact 22carried by the arm C and connecting the contact 21 with either of thecontacts 19 and 20. When the arm C is set for danger or red, as isindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, the circuit 17 is opened and themagnets 9 are deenergized While the circuit 18 is closed and the magnets10 are energized, thereby moving the rod 2 into operative position, asshown in Fig. 2, and when the signaling arm is set for green, thecircuit 18 is opened and the magnets 10 are deenergized, while thecircuit 17 is closed and the magnets 9 are energized, thereby moving therod 2 to its inoperative position wherein it is substantially parallelto the rails A and B.

The rod 2 is preferably in the form of an angle iron and is steadied inits movements by slotted guides 12 which are arranged upon the ties, therod 2 having depending headed pins 13 which engage through the slots inthe guides 12 and are preferably provided with anti-friction sleeves 14.The headed pins 13 positively hold the rod against upward displacementfrom any cause whatever, and by thus positively maintaining the rod inproper relation to the ties and preventing any wear or distortion of thepivot 3, insure that the movements of said rod to operative orinoperative position, as the case may be, shall be easy and certain.

The engineer is apprised of the operation of the brakes by the operationof an alarm device, preferably a whistle 15, which is sounded bycompressed air transmitted through a pipe 16 which is joined to theexhaust connection 6, a portion of the air which passes through thisconnection, being diverted by the pipe 16 and actuating the whistle 15.Immediately that theengineer is notified by the sounding of the whistle15 that the brakes are being applied, he of course operates the throttleto insure that the engine shall come to a full stop. When the train inthe next preceding block passes into the second block ahead, so that thesignaling arm at the rear end of the block from which said train haspassed is set for green, the ma nets 9 are energized to move the rod 2to inoperative position, whereupon the valve 1 is closed and themovement of the train is resumed.

Having fully described my invention, I claim 1. An apparatus of thecharacter described having in combination a springheld brake controllingvalve, and a hori- Zontally movable lever for operating said valve, theelements aforesaid forming parts of locomotive equipment, and a rodpivotally mounted for horizontal movement between the rails upon whichthe locomotive moves, the rod having a length which corresponds to thedistance of travel in which the locomotive may be stopped, and having anoperative position wherein it functions throughout its length as a camin effecting operative movements of said lever, and having aninoperative position wherein it is without effect on said lever.

2. An apparatus of the character described having in combination aspringheld brake controlling valve, and a horizontally movable lever foroperating said valve, the elements aforesaid forming parts of locomotiveequipment, and a rod mounted between the rails upon which the locomotivemoves, the rod having a length which corresponds to the distance oftravel in which the locomotive may be stopped and in its operativerelation to said lever functioning throughout its length as a cam ineffecting operative movement of said lever, and means for moving saidrod and said lever relatively whereby to establish the operative orinoperative relation thereof, the rod in its inoperative relation beingwithout efiect on said lever.

8. An apparatus of the character described having in combination aspringheld brake controlling valve and a horizontally movable lever foroperating said valve, the elements aforesaid forming parts of locomotiveequipment, a rod pivotally mounted for horizontal movement between therails upon which the locomotive moves, the rod having a length whichcorresponds to the distance of travel in which the locomotive may bestopped and having an operative position wherein it functions throughoutits length as a cam in effecting operative movements of said lever, andhaving an inoperative position wherein it is without effect on saidlever, and electro-magnets arranged at opposite sides of the rod toefiect movements thereof, the magnets at one side of the rod effecting amovement thereof to operative position and the magnets at the other sideof the rod effecting a movement to inoperative position.

4:. An apparatus of the character described having in combination aspringheld brake controlling valve and a horizontally movable lever foroperating said valve, the elements aforesaid forming parts of locomotiveequipment, a rod pivotally mounted for horizontal movement between therails upon which the locomotive moves, the rod having a length whichcorresponds to the distance of travel in which the locomotive may bestopped and having an operative position wherein it functions throughoutits length as a cam in effecting operative movements of said lever, andhaving an inoperative position wherein it is without effect on saidlever, a signaling appara tus at the head of the block in which the rodis arranged and including a movable arm, and means in co-action withsaid arm for effecting movements of the rod to operative or inoperativeposition as the case may be.

5. An apparatus of the character de scribed having in combination aspringheld brake controlling valve and a horizontally movable lever foroperating said valve, the elements aforesaid forming parts of locomotiveequipment, a rod pivotally mounted for horizontal movement between therails upon which the locomotive moves, the rod having a length whichcorresponds to the distance of travel in which the locomotive may bestopped and having an operative position wherein it functions throughoutits length as a cam in effecting operative movements of said lever, andhaving an inoperative position wherein it is without effect on saidlever, a signaling apparatus at the head of the block in which the rodis arranged and including a movable arm, and means in co-action withsaid arm for effecting movements of the rod to operative or inoperativeposition as the case may be, the means comprising electro-magnets atopposite sides of the rod and circuits in which said magnets arearranged and which are controlled by the movements of said arm, onecircuit being closed when the other is open and vice versa.

6. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, aspring held brake controlling valve provided with a projecting operatingelement, the valve and element forming parts of locomotive equipment,and a rod movably mounted between the rails upon which the locomotivemoves, the rod having a length which corresponds to the distance oftravel in which the locomotive may be stopped and having an operativeposition wherein it functions throughout its length as a cam ineffecting operative movements of said element and having an inoperativeposition wherein it is without effect on said element.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DAVID M. SMITH. Witnesses:

JOHN S. PowERs, CHAS. S. HYER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of E'atents,

Washington, 13.0.

